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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

I want to write a book Part 7: I'M PUBLISHED, NOW WHAT?

Now that we are into 2013 it is time to pick back up where we left off with the I WANT TO WRITE A BOOK series.

So we've looked at getting started in writing. Editing. Rejection. Now let's look forward a bit. You're published. First book? More than likely it is if you're reading this series. Well, guess what. The advertising budget in any house doesn't include a lot for you right now. The house is banking on you to do a little work too.

Once you're book is out you have to do some promotion on your own too. A publishing house telling people to buy a book just isn't going to cut it. Again, we go back to the one in a million book that someone picks up and says, "WOW...let's make 7 movies out of this." This doesn't happen to most of us. On that first book you're lucky if everyone you've ever met buys it.

So where do you begin? Well, get out your check book.

Hosting your own signing is a great way to expose yourself to those you know. Host this in your house, your church, a community center, or wherever you're comfortable asking your friends to come and buy your book. And, yes, sell them your book. This shows them your intent to be serious in your profession. You'll be surprised too, many of them will buy multiple copies to give away. They are proud of you.

Build a following. This advice needs to be followed from the moment you begin your journey into writing!!! So if you're still working on that manuscript pay attention.

A great way to build a following is to get online. Twitter is HUGE when it comes to meeting new people. Begin following authors and interacting with them. Networking is a very important part of this job. If you support other authors they will support you when the time comes. Be personable. You're not the only fish in the sea, so don't get a big head. Every voice and every genre deserves your attention. Host other authors on you site. Interview them. Give them guest blog appearances. Guess what... they will promote their interview on your site, diving their readers to you. See how this works? And, they will more than likely give you a chance to visit their blog too.

Blog. You might not have a book in your hand right now, and again start this before you're even contracted, but giving the public a chance to see your writing voice is very important. They'll know if they want to read you or not by what you have to say.

And what do you say? You have plenty, I promise you. One thing you can start with is what you've come across in your writing. You're an expert on things that you've researched or things you might know from your everyday life, and that is going to come in handy for someone else.

For a couple of dollars you can book some great blog tours. You'll find promoters of these especially on Twitter. A decent blog tour will run you $45-$100 and can sometimes include reviews. You can also set up your own by networking.

Now Twitter and Facbook are not the only social networks out there. There are many more. Goodreads is a must as well. Do some research, but get your name out there. This is crutial.

Depending on how big your publishing house is, which you've signed that contract with, you might need to contact stores for signings in your area. Make some relationships with the managers here. The like to have authors there, it gives them reputability too.

I, personally, am not a big book store signer. Oh, I've had some great signings! But with so much of the world reading digitally, this is where I believe so much of your time should be spent...on the internet. And, for the most part, it's free.

Aside from promoting, which you're going to do from here on out. (And on a side note, if you think your publisher is going to do it all and you're going to sit back and take the easy route...you're wrong. Get busy.) But the next step...write another book. And another... and another!

The biggest mistake you can make, if you're planning on being an author for a living, is to only write one book. If you are lucky enough to have built a following, they are going to want more and more and more. It is best that if you have something ready to go, you can begin submitting, or get on publishing your next masterpiece.

Remember, people will follow you if they like you. And if you're a bit accessible (virtually) they eat that up. They want to be part of something big. So give them something big... even before you have anything at all.